The present invention concerns the provision of a shroud or guard for disposition about the point of a used hypodermic syringe needle to prevent contact with the needle by medical personnel.
A risk exits to medical personnel of coming into accidental contact with a used hypodermic syringe needle and transmission of an infection from a previously treated individual such as hepatitis and the AIDS virus. While great care is normally exercised by medical personnel to avoid such contact with a used hypodermic needle, such contact does occur. Several solutions to the problem, termed needle stick, have been disclosed in various U.S. patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,492 shows a hypodermic syringe provided with a needle and hub assembly for attachment to the coupling socket integral with the syringe barrel. The needle hub supports a rail or guide which in turn carries an arm positionable lengthwise of the needle to locate a cap about the poined end of the needle. A cap is normally retracted in place about the needle and hub and repositioned over the needle end subsequent to syringe use. A problem encountered by such an arrangement is that a needle and hub assembly cannot be readily interchanged with another needle and hub assembly as such a change incurs the replacement of the protective device. Further, the manufacturing cost of the a needle and hub assembly with rail structure attached would appear to increase the cost of same. Some risk additionally is encountered upon inadvertent application of a fingertip to the cap of the device which in some instances could displace the cap axially to permit exposure of the needle end therethrough.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,740 is of interest in that a needle housing is slidably disposed on a flash chamber and extensible therefrom to locate a needle guard tip about the used needle of the catheter device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,021 discloses a slidably mounted tubular housing on a syringe barrel with a helical spring operable to extend the housing about the end of a needle of the syringe with provision made for preventing retraction of the housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,534 discloses a needle guard which is positionable by a spring along the length of the needle to its end. A shaft carries a shielding cap with retraction of the cap prevented after extension over the needle end.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,019,051 discloses an assembled protective enclosure for a used needle which encloses the syringe barrel to hinder viewing barrel markings and after use, positioned along the barrel to overlie the needle and needle hub.